Ulquiorra Cifer (Void)
Ulquiorra Cifer (ウルキオラ・シファー, Urukiora Shifā), is an , and the former of . During the , Ulquiorra would serve his role in reconnaissance, strategic and tactical planning, and eventually as guardian of . It is through his machinations that drew and several into conflict with the Espada in Las Noches. However during the ensuing battles, and eventual confrontation with Ichigo, Ulquiorra would suffer defeat by the latter's . At an unspecified time later, in the moonlit sky of Hueco Mundo, Ulquiorra reappeared from a dark void, apparently resurrected, more powerful than ever before. His current objectives remain unknown, but he appears to be planning to reconquer Hueco Mundo, and the Espada. Appearance Inhuman. That is the only word that can describe the form of this Arrancar. It has nothing to do with anything grotesque, or unfathomable by human imagination, but it is the only word capable of giving voice to the terror that beholds those who gaze unto the abyss. An impenetrable carapace covers its body in a silver-white sheen that seems to glow even in the darkest shadows with barely restrained power. Not to be confused with "skin", calling it that would humanize the monstrosity. Short and slender in appearance, it is a cunning deception, meant to beguile the hidden wells of godlike strength it possesses. Its fairly muscular body is chiseled as though made of diamond, yet moves with the grace of a predator. No, not a predator but the embodiment of destruction. It does not hunt to survive, it does not kill for pleasure, hatred or any variable of human emotion. It kills because that is its nature. Its body is built for one thing --- death. A mess of obsidian hair adorns its face, a single bang hanging between its inhuman eyes. Green irises with black slitted pupils stare dispassionately at the world around it. Within its gaze nothing holds meaning, not life, not the paltry ethics of sentient beings, nothing. All that exists within these eyes is oblivion, a promise of death, inevitable in its conclusion, an abyss where all things are made naught. As if to add further insult teal lines descend from its eyes, as though giving it the expression of crying, yet its face holds no such thing. A mockery of sadness and despair indeed. Dressed in an attire fit for a human and not the monster that it is, Ulquiorra bears the uniform of one who served in Aizen's Arrancar Army. Outfitted with billowy white hakama, an ebony black sash tightly bound around its waist with a pristine high collared white jacket with trailing coat-tails. Simple, and efficient in its design, it hides the inhuman entity that lies beneath, by giving it a regal nobility, and mannerism of what might constitute a sentient being. Like all Hollows there are remains of its hollow mask, a broken helmet or perhaps a devilish crown; a single bladed horn protruding from the side. Its hollow hole, the supposed vacuum where its soul was devoured and consumed by despair resides on its sternum. Personality Ulquiorra is a very cold, callous, dispassionate figure, and is rather aloof, brooding, and indifferent, willing to harm both his comrades and enemies should they ever get in his way. He refers to anyone he does not find interesting as "trash" and treats them as expendable. Despite this, like most of the other top Espada, he is not particularly violent and will only fight when provoked or ordered to by Aizen. Ulquiorra has a strange habit of killing victims he is particularly interested in by stabbing them with his bare hand in the same location as his hollow hole, as stated by Grimmjow. Whether he is consciously aware of this habit or not is unknown. He is known to not believe in human emotions, which he refers to as the "heart", reasoning that if his eye cannot see them, then they do not exist. These words, and much of Ulquiorra's overall behavior, can lead one to assume that he is a firm believer in the concept of materialism, which also connects to his aspect of death as an Espada, nihilism. His cold demeanor allows him to stay completely calm and in control in most situations, and he is not easy surprised or caught off-guard. However, he does not seem to comprehend the human trait of fighting against all odds or the very concept of the Human heart/emotions; during his latest battle with Ichigo, he completely overwhelms the Shinigami after releasing his Zanpakutō, yet Ichigo continues to fight on regardless. This briefly causes him to lose his cool, causing him to shout at Ichigo out of frustration that "to continue fighting is pointless". He then transforms into his Segunda Etapa form in an attempt to show him "true despair". He also seems to contradict himself, telling Ichigo that it's natural for humans to mimic hollows to become stronger; but they will never be the equal of hollows, though the Arrancar are doing much of the same by imitating Shinigami. Ulquiorra is also highly perceptive, cunning, and analytical. During his and Yammy's first visit to the human world, he makes several surprisingly accurate remarks on the humans who confronted them. He theorizes that Orihime Inoue's healing power is a temporal-spatial ability, which Aizen later describes as the rejection of fate, and comments on how Ichigo Kurosaki's Bankai can easily cut through Yammy's defenses. He also notes Ichigo's power fluctuation, which varies between very weak and stronger than his own. Ulquiorra seems to be demanding as well, such as when he came to Orihime's chamber and ordered her to eat a meal an Arrancar servant brought in, claiming that, for Aizen's benefit, it was her "duty" to stay alive. When Orihime hesitated, he threatened to force the food down her throat, or strap her to a table and feed her via an IV. This also implies that, while he prefers not to dirty his hands, Ulquiorra is fully capable of committing truly abhorrent and inhumane actions without feeling any shred of remorse or hesitation. After Ichigo's hollow form overwhelms and strikes him down during his last battle, Ulquiorra still maintains his composure and calmly berates himself for being defeated by a "Human-turned-Hollow". Believing that he no longer has a purpose in life, now that he was quickly defeated by his opponent, he then demands that Ichigo kill him, and compliments Ichigo when he decides to use a point-blank Cero to kill his opponent, claiming that the lack of mercy was "rather Hollow-like". This is a marked departure from most of his fellow Arrancar, who mostly died cursing their enemies or with an abject fear of death. History : "I was born at the bottom of the pit where no light shone. As if pressed together by the darkness, I lay there, uncertain of what to become; born under those dark sentiments. I had a white form. My comrades were all... in pure black. In those black forms, with their eyes shining and teeth baring, they were certainly eating something. And then... there was nothing to me, except my eyes. I felt nothing. No, rather... it was possible that what I felt was "void", yet I could hear nothing. I could bite nothing. I could smell nothing. I could feel nothing as I touch. I could not rest. I had no companion. Just walking, alone... The things reflected in my eyes have no meaning. The things that could not be reflected in my eyes, do not exist. Walking, Walking, Walking, Walking, Walking... When I had arrived at that thought... I have found something extraordinary. It was, somewhat, the place of birth for those... strange translucent objects that dotted this world. It was the first time... my eyes have been captured. With no color, with no sound, with no scent, it only exists there. Not interacting with anything, it only exists there. It was the closest existence to "void" that I had ever laid eyes on. I sank my body... into that great "void". There was nothing there, even I had lost my line of vision and dissolved into the void, and felt as if everything had disappeared. Happiness." '' The Void For a time, it had no name, nor did it bear semblance to something actually existing, it simply ''was. Emptiness stretched without limit in a prevasive darkness, it was all it had ever known, an unmistakable void where its concious grew, uncertain of what to become. Time continued to pass until the quite whispers of millions of lost souls faded into obscurity. Eventually a body was formed as though pressed together by forces unseen. Synopsis *''First Chapter: Recruitment'' :Main Article - Bleach Re-enaction Storyline. Powers & Abilities High Intellect: Behind the cold visage of death lies a fearsome and calculating intellect possessing phenomenal analytical, and observational abilities. Ulquiorra assimilates information with a machine-like efficiency, demonstrating immense insight and perception in deducing the intricacies of all that it comes across. Even as a being who finds the very concept of human emotion incomprehensible, Ulquiorra has an uncanny understanding of its nature. Repeatedly it has demonstrated the ability to use emotion against its enemies, pitting their own self deceptions, and weaknesses against them in deceptive and cruel schemes. It ruthlessly employs psychological warfare to demoralize and destroy the resolve of its enemies. Its strategies are simple but elegant in their design, utlilizing only what is necessary to achieve its objective, yet flexible enough to allow for tactical modifications should the need arise. In the Winter War, it used the human woman Orihime as a brilliant tactic to split the Shinigami's forces. By allowing her a time period to say goodbye to one person it created the illusion that she had left of her free will, leaving uncertainty and doubt in the minds of her friends and allies. Throughout the conflict it implemented varying forms of warfare, all in an attempt to drown the Shinigami and the human into the depths of despair. Immense Spiritual Power: Ulquiorra spiritual power is immensely high, as befitting of his position as Cuatro Espada. As one of the top four Espada, he is forbidden to release his Zanpakutō within Las Noches due to the immense magnitude of his power which could result in severly damaging Las Noches. Ulquiorra seems to possess a highly acute level of manipulation of his reiatsu, as by lowering it, he can reduce his effective fighting abilities so that he can deal with weaker opponents while conserving his strength. Subsequently, by releasing his reiatsu, he is able to increase his fighting prowess, to match opponents who prove themselves to be more powerful than he calculated. Furthermore his reserves while the lowest of the top four Espada are while unknown to even Aizen himself are a result of redirecting much of his power towards augmenting his already impressive Hierro as well as providing a base-line for his innate high-speed regeneration. Despite his lower rank, his Hierro and high-speed regeneration appear to be the strongest amongst the Espada. Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Though he rarely engages in it, Ulquiorra is a master swordsman of incredible skill and talent. His fighting style doesnt appear to change much from his hand-to-hand skills, instead using his sword as an extension of his body, to increase the lethality of his attacks along with their range. Should he be forced to draw his sword against an opponent, such an occurrence is truly memorable, for Ulquiorra will utilize the full brunt of his intellect to devise strategies and tactics to completely dominate his opponent. He typically employs a tactic of only using a percentage of his true swordsmanship to lull his opponent into a false sense of security, before rapidly raising his skill level to crush his opponent. He is capable of using his immense speed for flawless precision and his phenomenal strength to cleave through his opponents defenses with an overwhelming offensive strategy. His swordsmanship is unique as is expected of a Hollow. Whether from pure instinct, memories of the Hollows that compose him, or sheer experience it is an inherently deadly style that utilizes his powers to the fullest. Powerful singular strokes designed to slice through opponents defenses and overwhelm them with the immense physical strength he possesses coupled with frightening speed and precision are the mainstay of his style. *'Tactics:' Ulquiorra prefers to wield his sword with his right hand, leaving the other hand free though it usually remains in his pocket. When forced to use both hands he has been shown to use his off-hand to help balance his body when attacking and blocking. He continues to employ the usage of his other Hollow abilities, using his swordsmanship to create openings in his opponents defenses before obliterating them with his Hollow abilities. When using his true level of skill, Ulquiorra brings to bear the true might of his Hollow prowess relying on his Pesquisa to track his opponents movements, while making tactical use of his ability to instantly create Garganta's to seemingly teleport throughout the battlefield, or redirect his opponents own attacks against them. Liberal use of Bala is used to ensure that his opponents, even at a range are unable to formulate any sort of strategy whilst he fires a point blank Cero from their flank through a Garganta. Coupled with his High-Speed Regeneration, and particularly dense Hierro, there are few if any opponents capable of defeating him in combat. Sonído Master: Sonido is a technique created for the strong, responding only to an instinct and power held solely by the Espada. Simple it in its execution, the Arrancar instantly condenses its reiatsu around them to super-compress their spiritual power to briefly heighten their physical capabilities. Spiritual density is the key, the greater the spiritual density, the stronger, faster and more durable an Arrancar becomes. It does not require skill, nor effort to learn, it is instinct, as is the formation of the Hollow Mask and the bone white carapace that serves as the Hollow body. All are extensions of this simple phenomena; compressed spiritual power. The next stage is spiritual control, the ability to manipulate and control one's reiatsu. Once this skill has been integrated with Sonido, can one achieve speeds that surpass its brethren. Ulquiorra's mind is capable of harnessing this control to a level beyond its peers, pure unadulterated will directs its movements, with keen precision and efficiency. Ulquiorra had easily deduced and mastered the Gemelos Sonido with a mere glance, and if it chose could flawlessly integrate such "speed clones" into its natural movements, with no upper limit. There is no flicker of movement, no booming static, nothing indicative that Ulquiorra moved at all; only disappearing and reappearing as though displacing itself. Enhanced Cero: Ulquiorra has been shown using Cero from his fingers with very destructive power. His Cero can be charged and fired relatively fast and is a green color instead of red, which is the most common color of a Cero. The force of the blast is powerful enough to send an opponent hurtling long distances effectively destroying any obstacle in its path at great range. He is shown able to fire it from either hand, and is known to interchange or follow-up his attacks with a point-blank Cero. The overall strength of his Cero depends on his current form, duration of the charge, and range. In his sealed form, his Cero is still notably powerful on par with most mid-to-high level Hado spells, with its power increasing the closer one gets to the origin. In his Resurreccion form his Cero obtains a massive boost in its power nearly doubling or tripling in its power output. Opponents who could previously withstand his Cero are either destroyed outright or suffering grave injuries from the attack. Furthermore by taking a few moments longer to charge his Cero its power is amplified tremendously, though this is rare due to being impractical with his usual tactics. Enhanced Bala: This technique hardens the user's spiritual pressure and fires it like a bullet from their fist. Generally the color of ones Bala corresponds to their spiritual energy, however many Espada, Ulquiorra included, simply harden ambient spiritual power retaining the standard red color. When a Bala is infused with their spiritual energy does its color change; for Ulquiorra his Bala is green. Ulquiorra rarely makes use of this technique, preferring to use his Cero due to the rapid charge and firing times of both techniques. However what his Bala lacks in overall destructive potential, it makes up for in penetration. It is hardened and fire much like a spear rather than to explode on contact. It is capable of penetrating through the Hierro of the higher-ranked Espada, and is also many times faster than his Cero. In this way, his Bala is more akin to an assassination technique than a diversionary tactic. His Resurreccion's Luza de la Luna may be an advanced form of this technique. Enhanced Hierro (鋼皮（イエロ, iero; Spanish for "Iron", Japanese for "Steel Skin"): Hierro refers to the hardened skin of the Arrancar, which is a result of their compressed spiritual power. Ulquiorra is a juggernaut, an invincible testament to Aizen's greatness, an icon of his ambition; unshakeable and inconquerable. Its Hierro is considered supreme amongst the ranks of the Espada, a byproduct of his uniquely compressed spiritual power resulting in a carapace whose strength exceeds that of the highest level known defensive Kido. The attacks of any advesary are harmlessly deflected to the side barehanded, and the destructive nature of reiatsu or other forms of spiritual attacks are similarly ignored without suffering a single injury. The spiritual density of Ulquiorra's body is several times that of its brethren, making him weight signifcantly more than normal, and rendering most spiritual attacks null and void due to its sheer density. *'Hierro Field:' Ulquiorra is capable of exerting a powerful defensive field, simply by compressing its reiatsu around it like a secondary layer of skin. Prior to its death, and subsequent return, the strength of this field was weaker than its own Hierro, thus rendering this function obsolete, however after its resurrection, Ulquiorra has developed its strength to the point where it now acts as a secondary form of defense, able to stop attacks before they even reach its physical form. Enhanced Pesquisa: The Arrancar ability to sense spiritual energy. While any Arrancar can learn it, Ulquiorra has shown impressive skill with it. His Pesquisa seems to function as a field radiating outward from him, in a similar manner to sonar. It is incredibly precise as he is able to keep track of his opponents movements during combat with pin-point accuracy without the need for his sight. When combining his Pesquisa with his unique sight, does his tracking and spiritual analytical prowess soar exponentially. With a single glance at his opponent, Ulquiorra can immediately determine the depths of their power. He is able to detect and comprehend the subtle flow, fluctuations and concentration of the person's energy, by analyzing its unique spiritual energy signature and their spiritual alignment. It has an extraordinary level of accuracy, capable of revealing details about an opponents energy even they are unaware of. Immense Strength: Strength beyond comprehension lies at its fingers, capable of tearing asunder all the resolve of the strongest opponents. Those who stand before its might are crushed into dust, such is the extent of Ulquiorra brute strength. In battle, such physical prowess is metted out in overwhelming force, the entirety of its spiritual mass is delievered into each singular blow. Ulquiorra literally turns its fearsome reiatsu into a deadly weapon by sending powerful vibrations through its strikes, that all but disintegrate the feeble bonds of reishi that compose the most powerful defenses. This is only possible due in part to its ultra-compressed spiritual power, which condenses and amplifies its reiatsu when directed in such a manner. A single strike is all that is necessary to generate tornado force winds, upturn sections of earth, and utterly annihilate anything that stands in its way. Descorrer (解空(デスコレール), Desukorēru; Japanese for "Loosed Voi''d", Spanish for "''Drawing Back/Opening"): A technique used by Espada-level Arrancar and sometimes others, to open a Garganta between the living world and Hueco Mundo. It literally tears open the dimensional fabric separating the worlds, revealing a tunnel of whirling, torrential energy that must be focused and solidified to create a discernible pathway. Though it refrains from using Descorrer in battle, Ulquiorra has mastered this technique to astounding degree's and is able to integrate its usage within its battle strategy. With a simple gesture Ulquiorra can create multiple dimensional tears to serve a variety of functions in battle. Defensively, the Garganta's can be used to absorb oncoming enemy attacks, rendering them ineffective against Ulquiorra. Furthermore even after using a Garganta to "absorb" an attack, Ulquiorra can simply store the attack within the void and release it at a later time. Offensively the possibilities of the Garganta are near endless; from summoning dozens of portals that unleash a cascade of fully powered Cero's to decimate his foes, towards secondary teleportation for enhanced mobility. *'Garganta Broadcast': Ulquiorra has also displayed the unique ability to create visual broadcasts, similar to a television screen, by using individual Garganta portals. Through them he is able to show and display real-time feed's of those he is often tasked to observe and profile. He typically uses this power as a means of scouting and acquiring information from a variety of locations at one time, demonstrating a remarkable information gathering skill and prowess amongst the Espada. *'Réquiem' (撃破空(レクリアミ), Rekuriam; Japanese for "Crushing Void", Spanish for, "Requiem"): Réquiem (撃破空(レクリアミ), Rekuriam; Japanese for "Crushing Void", Spanish for, "Requiem"): A technique whose sole purpose is to destroy all that lies within it. It is a terrible technique capable of unquantifable levels of destruction, forbidden from use within Las Noches, a power so terrible, even Aizen feared it. Ulquiorra tears open dozens of intersecting Garganta's to create an enclosed space where the resulting dimensional tears begin to wreck havoc upon the fabric of reality. The space within is violently disorted, until it is torn apart, completely and utterly destroying everything that lies within. Eyes deceive you as reality literally crumbles apart around you. You dare not move, for fear that your body will be dragged along with the flux of space. The only thing you dare to do---is listen. Listen to this symphony as space is torn asunder. Another mockery of life and joy. It is the music of inevitability, of assured oblivion. When it is finished all that remains of the space is an empty void, a blot in reality. High-Speed Regeneration: Despite having great attack power and speed, Ulquiorra's greatest strength isn't offensive but his regenerative power. It is first witnessed after he removed and crushed one of his eyes, then he is seen with two eyes again in his next appearance, and Yammy comments on it to that effect. This is displayed once more in his battle against Ichigo's evolved Hollow form where he regenerates the arm that was torn off. Ulquiorra states that it is his greatest power, one which most Arrancar give up in return for greater strength. He explains that he can quickly regenerate any part of his body except for his brain and Internal organs. However, this power also requires that he had sufficient spiritual energy. Solita Vista (共眼界(ソリタ・ヴィスタ), Sorita Visuta; Japanese for "All-Eyes World", Spanish for "Accustomed View"): This ability allows Ulquiorra to replay events he has seen to others by removing and crushing an eye, which then turns into dust and flows around those he intends to use it on. The dust apparently relays not only his sight but also his feelings. This power relates to his initial form as a Vasto Lorde, when the only sense he possessed with his sight. As a result he developed a highly acute form of eidetic memory, and with it he is able to view and store massive amounts of information and reflect upon them at a later time. Furthermore when combined with the precision of his Pesquisa he is able to use his keen intellect to theorize, and make reasonable deductions regarding the abilities of his opponents. *'Instant Replay': According to Ulquiorra, his eyes see everything. Nothing can escape it. What it doesn't see doesn't exist The actual function of this ability allows him to replay events he has seen to others by removing and crushing an eye, which then turns into dust and flows around those Ulquiorra intends to use it on. The dust apparently relays not only his sight but also his feelings. Master Hand-to-hand Combatant Ulquiorra relies mostly if not entirely on its hand-to-hand combat abilities, rarely drawing its sword at all to face an opponent. It was speculated that Ulquiorra only drew its blade to face opponents it considered "worthy" or those that had peaked its interest, but recent findings suggest that this is merely supposition. In actuality, Ulquiorra's hand-to-hand combat prowess is simply put, so immense that drawing its blade is unnecessary, and is only done so when hand-to-hand combat proves insufficient to neutralize its opponent. Hand-to-Hand Combat Instinct & Technique: Ulquiorra's apparent mastery and utilization of hand-to-hand combat in its battles can attributed to two aspects of its design. The first is its formation, a being created by the remnants of hundreds and thousands of other Hollows and having emerged as a full-fledged Vasto Lorde, bypassing the evolutionary chain entirely. This has bestowed upon Ulquiorra an innate, virtually instinctual grasp of hand-to-hand combat maneuvers, by drawing upon the literal hundreds of thousands of lifetime experiences of the Hollows that composed its being. Prior to the Winter War, Ulquiorra demonstrated extraordinary hand-to-hand combat skill and technique, that has only been refined through its own battles and experiences. As an avatar of its aspect of death, Ulquiorra's fighting style is swift, merciless, and utterly efficient. With its immense physical capabilities augmenting its already formidable hand-to-hand combat abilities, it strikes with sound-shattering speed, overwhelming force, and unerring precision capable of penetrating all but the toughest of defenses, with all the relentless tenacity of a force of nature. Following its defeat by Ichigo's Hollow Form, it has since returned with an array of techniques and skills it had not previously demonstrated. Ulquiorra is now capable of harnessing its aspect of death "nihilism" and infusing it into its very attacks. It is apt that this technique remains nameless, representing its lack of meaning in concert with nihilism itself, instead being a manifestation of Ulquiorra's existence. When utilizing this ability, its attacks carry with it an aura of "void" in which spiritrons, matter, virtually anything that could exist, can exist or does exist, is instantly obliterated, removed from existence itself and returned to the void. It is capable of concentrating this effect into a touch to cause entire structures to seemingly dissolve as though unraveled at its core. In actuality, Ulquiorra's power is even more insidious than its apparent effect would indicate. Its power is based around the concept, that all things that exist that possess individuality, exist in a state of; that which they are, that which they arent, and that which they could be. In this model, there is always a degree of uncertainty, which invariably leads to the growth of a void, within such beings. Something unanswered, unknown, undefined. These cracks, weaknesses, are ruthlessly exploited by Ulquiorra, who is capable of amplifying their presence, to cause a breakdown in the objects or creatures integrity, causing the conflicting notions within to endlessly war within one another until nothing is left. Hand-to-Hand Combat Tactics: Ulquiorra's hand-to-hand combat skill is dictated by a cold, ruthless and machine-like mindset that is always analyzing, calculating and devising a thousand and one possible attacks, trajectories and probable responses by its opponent. This coupled with its instinctual combat capabilities are what give rise to its master-level combat prowess. In battle, Ulquiorra prefers to provoke its opponents into attacking first, allowing it the opportunity to observe first-hand their level of skill. This allows it to carefully analyze and then deconstruct an opponents fighting style, thereby allowing it to devise the most appropriate battle strategy to destroy them as quickly and efficiently as possible. With its Pesquisa, Ulquiorra categorizes its opponents spiritual capabilities, compartmentalizing an ever growing list of known powers, probable powers, possible latent abilities that may be introduced given proper stimuli, along with counters to each. By taking into account all of the above variables, Ulquiorra's fighting style is manifested in its overwhelming speed, strength, brutality, seemingly prescient knowledge of its opponents abilities, and apparent machine-like composure. As most fighting styles that Shinigami and other beings utilize are dependent on factors such as the practitioners own form, which is generally human, or the animalistic forms most Hollows embody, Ulquiorra prefers engages its opponents in three-dimensions rather than two. By targeting an opponent from all possible angles, it is able to deny much of the advantages of typical human fighting styles, disorient its foes, and by maintaining its movement it can remain in its opponents "blind-spots" further depriving them of their assets. It is a highly methodical, efficient approach to combat, made only possible by Ulquiorra's inhuman mindset. Zanpakutō ' Murciélago' (黒翼大魔 (ムルシエラゴ) Murushierago; Spanish for "Bat", Japanese for "Black-Winged Great Demon"): Ulquiorra's Zanpakutō takes the form of a standard sized katana with a green handle and sheath. The guard has two curved extensions from its long sides, with a line going through both sides to give it an eye-like appearance. Resurrección: Its release command is "Enclose" (鎖せ, tozase): Murciélago unleashes an enormous burst of spiritual energy, black as the void itself, illuminated only a hazy green only to be released into the atmosphere as omnious rain, washing the world around him in a black sea. From within this torrent of power, a final burst is released revealing Ulquiorra in all of his unholy glory. Black wings protruding from his black, slick in their appearance with an obsidian sheen, glint in the light of the moon. His hair is longer, wilder, and atop his crown is the completed form of his hollow mask, wreathed around his head with two elegant horns extending outward to the sides. The lines on his face are darker, broarder and more angular, as though the demon is weeping tears of blood. His previous attire becomes more form fitting, instead of loosely hanging off his body it is pressed into a second layer of skin, with the opening closed at the top, while bellowing out like a robe near the bottom. In this form, Ulquiorra transcends from mere hollow to an entity of death and despair, surrounded by an aura of cold, uncaring detachment. There is nothing within his emerald orbs but a dark abyss awaiting to consume everything whole. Resurrección Special Ability: As one of the top four Espada, while in his released form, Ulquiorra's physical abilities are increased to immense levels, so much so that his abilities are "worlds apart" than in his previous form. With his hollows powers unlocked, he is able to access a slew of unique abilities, coupled with the tremendous strength, speed and spiritual power to utilize them to their full potential. While he may have been the Cuatro Espada in his base form, the sheer magnitude of his abilities in his released state are tremendous. In this state the scope of all of his abilities multiplied several times over. *'Enhanced Spiritual Power': His already immense spiritual power is augmented to tremendous levels, its depths increasing to unimaginable levels. The sheer intensity and pressure exerted by his power is easily capable of crushing the will of his opponents, enciting feelings of intense despair and crushing defeat from its mere presence. Even to those who can rise above the despair of his power, must contend with the overpowering pressure, making their movements sluggish and unrefined. *'Augmented Speed': In this form, out of all of his physical abilities, his speed is by far the most influenced. His Sonido becomes almost impossible to discern, as he moves with such speed across great distances in an instant its as though displacing himself. In the air, he uses his wings to provide additional propulsion, greatly augmenting his already formidable speed. His mobile tactics change accordingly, as he maintains a predominate aerial form of combat. *'Augmented Strength: '''His monstrous strength is augmented to new heights, so much so that with a mere beat of his wings he can create powerful tornado like winds and smash his opponents with the pure concussive force generated from the action. The potency of his attacks are powerful enough to generate waves of crushing force while direct hits all but disintegrate spiritual matter. *'Augmented Hierro:' Ulquiorra's already fearsome Hierro becomes so potent that it is an aura surrounding him. He is capable of projecting a field around him, which acts much like a potent and high-level Kido-barrier against an opponents attacks. The barrier demonstrates such phenomenal durability that an opponents attacks are simply diverted around and away from the main body. *'Luz de la Luna''' (ルス・デ・ラ・ル, Rusu de ra Runa; Spanish and Japanese for "Light of the Moon"): In his Resurreccion form, Ulquiorra loses his Zanpakutou, however he instead gains the ability to form lances of condensed spiritual energy, and using them in leau of his sword. They glow with a stark green and white light, and are also capable of being thrown like javelins. As with all of his abilities, the power of a single Luz de la Luna is immense, possessing great cutting and penetration power. Ulquiorra is capable of forming these energy weapons very quickly and in rapid succession, integrating their new ability within his combat tactics. * Cero Oscuras (黒虚閃, (セロ・オスキュラス), sero osukyurasu; Spanish for "Dark Zero", Japanese for "Black Hollow Flash"): The Cero is the penultimate expression of spiritual emission of a Hollow, simple yet brutal, it is a high-powered condensed beam of raw spiritual power. With every evolution a Hollow undergoes the strength and potency of this attack is increased in magnitudes. Once these hollows achieve their final evolution---Vasto Lorde, does this spiritual attack ascend to an even higher plane of power. The Cero Oscuras is simply put; the complete Cero capable by only the strongest of all Hollows. Ulquiorra refers to this attack as, "our Cero" possibly referencing the requirment of being a Vasto Lorde to use it. When unleashed it devours any and all ambient light as it consumes any and all traces of ambient spiritual energy as a wave of utter darkness propells forward promising only total annihilation. It is dangerously powerful technique, so much so that when it detonates it illuminates in a blazing explosion that could destroy all of Las Noches in single strike. ' Resurrección: Segunda Etapa' (刀剣解放第二階層 (レスレクシオン・セグンダ・エターパ), resurekushion segunda etāpa; Spanish for "Resurrection Second Stage", Japanese for "Sword's Release: Second Level") is a horrifying transformation, whose sole requirement is the complete and total abandonment of anything remotely human about an Arrancar. The process of Shinigamification bridges the gap between their beastial nature and that which defined them as humans when they were alive, resulting in an entity embodying a twisted duality between human and monster. Segunda Etapa is the dissolution of that, and to acquire it, an Arrancar must rid themselves of their humanity and embrace the oblivion of their aspect of death. He who is the perfect Hollow, emerging into existence as a Vasto Lorde, born from the very essence that composed Hollow's themselves, he was hollow, a being empty of all feeling, of emotion. When it gave itself into the alluring void of nothingness, did it achieve a power beyond its peers, a power beyond that of any Hollow---Segunda Etapa. Appearance: When releasing his final transformation, Ulquiorra's spiritual energy burns away his pitiable human form, releasing an overwhelming shower of pure unadulterated fear and despair. In its wake is its avatar, an entity embodying the willful surrender to this crushing oblivion. This devil of darkness bears wings as black as night, that shine like obsidian. Twin horns sprout from a mane of darkness, above inhuman yellow eyes with slitted pupils and green sclera; there is nothing left, not a trace of humanity, nothing but a desolute void of emptiness with tears of black blood. From its center is a gaping Hollow Hole where a black icor appears to drip downward before forming the messy black fur that encompasses its waist, legs and arms. It is the darkness personified, wreathed in an aura of crushing palpable fear and despair, terror given form, a being whose very presence defies the fabric of life. *'Latigo' (ラティーゴ, Ratīgo; "(point of a) Lash/Whip"): A very long and thin prehensible tail writhes behind him, and like any limb its purpose is simple but absolute; to extinguish all life. It is a powerful limb, capable of incredible precision and speed, and a single strike is enough to crush the petty land beneath it, and sever a being in half with a single blow. *'Overwhelming Reiatsu': * Lanza del Relámpago (雷霆の槍 (ランサ・デル・レランパーゴ), ransa deru reranpāgo; Spanish for "Lance of the Lightning", Japanese for "Lance of Thunder and Lightning"): Ulquiorra creates a javelin-like weapon using his spiritual power. It is quite like his original energy javelins, with the only, if quite noticeable, difference being the energies flowing off of each end in a fashion similar to flames, making it look more arrow-shaped. He can use this weapon as a projectile or as a physical weapon. When thrown, it produces an incredibly-destructive explosion on impact, which dwarfs the fortress of Las Noches in height. Ulquiorra prefers to not use the attack at close range, most likely because the resulting blast would damage himself as well as Las Noches. While he can use these spears in rapid succession, he has difficulty controlling their trajectory. Ulquiorra is also able to use this attack as a blade, and he can use it to either disintegrate material upon impact, as seen when he struck away his own amputated arm that Hollow Ichigo had just thrown at him; or to cut, as seen when he used it to sever one of Hollow Ichigo's horns to prevent him from using a Cero on Uryū. Quotes *(To Orihime Inoue) "The fact that you only have two escorts is a bit anticlimactic, but having those annoying walls fixed in place suits me just fine, since rushing a conversation isn't really in my nature." *(To Orihime Inoue) "Do not ask any questions. Do not say anything. You have no rights. What you hold in your hand is the rope to the guillotine above your friends' necks. Nothing more. Understand, girl. This is not a negotiation, it's an order." *(To Orihime Inoue) "What would you have me say? 'Don't worry, I'm sure he's still alive'? Ridiculous. I am not here to comfort you. I don't understand why are you so fixated on life and death? At any rate, your friends will soon be annihilated. So what if that's one step closer? They should have seen this coming from the start. If they couldn't see it coming, the fault lies in their own foolishness. Laughing them off as a group of idiots would be sufficient. Why can't you do that? If it were me, and my friends entered Hueco Mundo without first gauging their strength, I'd be infuriated by their stupidity." *(To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Even if you rise up a thousand times, there will be no victory for any of you." *(To Orihime Inoue) "Hearts, you say? You Humans are always so quick to speak of such things. As though you carry your hearts in the very palms of your hands. But this eye of mine perceives all. There is nothing that it overlooks. If this eye cannot see a thing, then it does not exist. That is the assumption under which I have always fought. What is this "heart"? If I tear open that chest of yours, will I see it there? If I smash open that skull of yours, will I see it there?" *(To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Do not lose your composure, do not break your stance, stretch out your awareness, and do not let your guard down for even a second." *(While dying) "I see. This. Yes. This thing in my hand is the heart?" *(To Ichigo Kurosaki before entering the Segunda Etapa) "If you do not know it, then I shall enlighten you. This is the form of true despair." *(To Ichigo Kurosaki) "No matter how similar your appearance and techniques may be to those of an Arrancar their power is as far apart as heaven and earth. When a Shinigami or Human wishes to gain power, imitating Hollows is an appropriate course of action. However, because they are imitating, Humans will never be equal to Hollows." *(To Ichigo Kurosaki) "You are a fool, Ichigo Kurosaki. You challenge an opponent whose strength terrifies you and think that you can win. It is beyond my comprehension. If it is due to what you Humans call a 'heart', it is because of that heart that you suffer injuries and it is because of that heart that you will lose your life." *(To Ichigo Kurosaki) "Kill me. Quickly. I no longer have the strength to walk. If you do not cut me down now, then this fight will remain forever unsettled." *(Before getting shot point blank by Ichigo Kurosaki's Cero) "...I see. No mercy? How very Hollow like. I don't mind, I have lost to you. I no longer have any meaning. Do it." Trivia *All credit goes to Njalm for the conception and description of the technique Requiem. Keep em coming man, dont know what I'd do without you! *He was voted the 10th most popular character in a ''Bleach'' poll after receiving 3751 votes. *His theme song, as chosen by Tite Kubo, is "Moonshield," on the album "The Jester Race" by the group "In Flames." *Ulquiorra's first appearance in the manga was considerably different from his later appearances in the manga and the anime. He was depicted with thinner eyelashes, a lack of black borders on his coat, a higher Hollow hole, a longer Hollow mask remnant with a notable crack and shorter hair. He was also more prone to making facial expressions, conflicting with his melancholic demeanor. *Ulquiorra appears to have dark-colored nails in the manga, but in the anime, they appear to be normal-colored. *Ulquiorra's death was voted most impactful scene of the year by the fans, and played on the screen in Jump Festa 2009, with Tite Kubo present. *In the Bleach best bout poll Ulquiorra's final fight with Ichigo came in second place. Hollow Hole & Chakra Correlation The location of Ulquiorra's Hollow hole is the only visual feature on his entire persona that provides a glimpse into the very core and soul of his being. However such research into the relevence of a Hollow hole's location has rarely been the subject of Shinigami study, let alone an Arrancar. But its significance is not diminished, as the location of a Hollow hole corresponds to not only the generaly personality of a Hollow, but the abilities it develops as it evolves. This correlation can at best be found in the ancient teachings of Hinduism Buddism namely the theory's of The Seven Chakra's. Ulquiorra's Hollow hole relates directly to the Vishuddha chakra, the 5th primary chakra in Hindu tradition. It is normally positioned at the neck region near the spine with its activation point in the pit of throat. According to this belief, the Vishuddha chakra is known as the purification centre. Here the nector amrita drips down from the Bindu chakra. In his Resurreccion form this is referenced by the apparent fluid that drips down from his Hollow hole over his torso. Furthermore in hindu belief when this nector is purified it becomes the nector of immortality. Ulquiorra's high-speed regeneration relates to this concept. However nothing is more principle than the location of this Chakra and its relation to Ulquiorra's personality. As the Vishuuda is located at the throat, and another minor but closely linked chakra the Lalana is located in the mouth, their representations have much to do with how Ulquiorra conducts himself. Firstly, the Vishuudda chakra is associated with hearing, which is related to the ears and is also associated with speaking. In his initial Vasto Lorde form, this is best represented by his lack of any mouth or ears. Furthermore due to lacking a mouth he also lacked the Lalana chakra which is associated with emotions, and any other form of self-expression. Ultimately the result is creation of the very foundation and personality of Ulquiorra, and serves to explain his aspect of death---nihilism. Without these two chakra's it is the inevitable conclusion of the progress of a being lacking these attributes. Category:Illuminate Void Category:Characters Category:Arrancar Category:Canon Characters Category:Villians Category:Lawful Evil